SB Nation - Chris Baker

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. New England Patriots Pass Offense

John B — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:32:12 -0000

by Michael Perez - AP

Last time the Jets shut down Tom Brady with non stop pressure. That's been their formula for success against Brady in the past, sending men from all angles, confusing his protection, and forcing him to throw early. It's the only way to beat an offense like this. If a quarterback this good has time, he'll find a window. If receivers this good have time, they'll eventually get open.

This kind of matchup favors the Pats. The Jets probably won't change much from what was successful the first time. Why would they? New England has the ability to adjust. It's funny because in the past, New England adjusted to New York's blitzing of Brady by the formula they tried in the first game, spreading the field and getting the ball out quickly. That won't work because the Jets will just send more men than blockers once again. At least one guy will run free to Brady and force an early throw. This time I think the Pats leave in extra blockers. As long as they leave Brady standing, he can find somebody.

In the first game, Darrelle Revis shut down Randy Moss with very little safety help. The Jets played a lot of cover zero and cover one. When he had help, he didn't need it. The one area the Pats found success was working the middle with Julian Edelman, a shifty slot receiver. Wes Welker will be in the lineup this time. He and Edelman will be working the middle a lot. We'll also see a lot of quick throws and screens to Welker and let him make plays. To get to Brady, the Jets are going to have to ask a lot out of Lito Sheppard, Donald Strickland, and Dwight Lowery. If the Jets are going to win, these guys in particular are going to have to cover and tackle well.

I also think the Pats will look to exploit Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker and test out Eric Smith. Eric will be playing Jim Leonhard's role now, not working underneath and as a blitzer in subpackages. We'll also see Kevin Faulk on a lot of screens out of the backfield to try and catch blitzers overpursuing.

One thing to watch on the line is the play of rookie Sebastian Vollmer, who replaced the injured Matt Light about a month ago. Vollmer has held up exceptionally well against some of the best rushers in the game like Dwight Freeney last week. Light had been the weak link on the line. The interior guys, Steven Neal, Dan Koppen, and Logan Mankins, as well as right tackle Nick Kaczur have been good in pass protection. The Jets should focus again on overload blitzes. It's going to be tough to consistently win matchups against these guys. Just overwhelm them to one side and hope the protection can't slide quickly enough.

Sunday Fish Fry Part 2: Man the Longboats! Patriots offense v. Dolphin D

JohnHannahRules — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:36:34 -0000

More photos » by Matt Dunham - AP

New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson (84), left, crosses to score a touchdown game at Wembley. Pats' tight ends could play a key offense role against the Dolphins this week. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

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The Dolphins will let you score. Well, they won't let you, but teams do seem to rack up the points on Miami. Even teams with rookie quarterbacks who ultimately lose. Miami allows just over 25 points per game, good enough for 23rd league wide and a tie with Jacksonville.

Their D ranks 18th overall when adjusted for strength of schedule. Not horrid, I guess, but not scintillating either. Since playing Buffalo, the Phins have surrendered 27, 46 and 30 points (Jest, Saints, Jest). But the question tonight isn't "how good is Miami generally," but rather "How good will Miami be against New England?" On paper, at least, the answer is "not good."

According to Football Outsiders, Miami has the worst pass defense in the league against Tight Ends. They're quite good against other receivers, but simply cannot seem to locate that skinny-looking lineman when he runs out for a pass. On a per game basis, they allow almost seventy yards receiving to the TE. That's a lot.

Sticking for the moment with FO's system, New England has one of the best tight ends in the league right now and two in the top 30. Ben Watson ranks 6th overall in his value over a replacement player. His per play value over an average player ranks him first in the league. While Chris Baker doesn't rank as high as Watson overall, both players suffer in the rankings somewhat because they aren't used all that often. Expect that to change on Sunday. Note, however, that Watson is listed as questionable.)

For the first time in its history, Miami is now starting three rookies in its defensive backfield. Young cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have been thrown into the fire this year, and have been described by Coach Tony Sparano as forgetful youngsters. In other words, they're cocky SOB's who remember their successes and instantly forget their mistakes. Perfect CB material, but young is young.

At the safety position Miami entered the season with maturity, and could have felt about as good as any team about the two rangers. Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson were expected to be steadying hands on the tiller. The high-priced Wilson struggled, however, and Sparano boldly elevated rookie Chris Clemons against the Jest, the same week Davis got the full time nod due to WIll Allen's season-ending injury.

The upshot? Mark Sanchez went 20 of 35 for 265 yards. Ouch. Still, as the Phaithful will quickly remind you, they won. (Thanks, boys.) Although Smith was drafted to handle the tall guys, Cotchery torched him and now he gets Moss. There's no one in the league who can cover Welker.

Why they won is mostly to do with special teams (about which more briefly). But let's not rush to phase three. Our running game is average; their run D is average. (Though FO ranks our run game a defense-adjusted seventh, so it's more effective than given credit for.) But like I said in Part I, running isn't going to be the whole story and when Miami is on defense it isn't going to be half of the story. Injuries are why.

Nosetackle Jason Ferguson and old friend Channing Crowder are both listed as questionable for the game. Coach Sparano states confidence in Crowder's replacement, Reggie Torbor, but NT understudy Paul Soliai would be making his first start. (Bonus: Joey Porter still tender in the hamstringal region.) But those aren't the injuries I'm most interested in.

I know Matt Light doesn't have many fans anymore. But no one does very well against Jason Taylor, which is a left-handed way of saying Light does as well as anyone. Light will sit with a bum knee and rookie Sebastian Vollmer will get his second start. He did pretty well in his first shot of big playing time against Tennessee, but struggled against an underwhelming Tampa Bay from time to time. On Sunday he'll confront the toughest competition he's ever faced.

How he performs may well determine the outcome of the game. Just as safety play by the Patriots will key the defense, I think that our offensive success rides on how well Vollmer handles Taylor -- or fails to. Miami has been very frank about the need to get pressure on Tom. Indeed, it's the only way they'll likely accumulate enough of an edge to win (more, again, below). Expect them to bring the house.

Finally, the "more." The Jets dominated the game in every category last week, yet still came up short. Key plays by the defense were a big reason -- including one from JT -- but the numerical advantage came on the feet of Ted Ginn. The Patriots absolutely must contain him in the return game. If things are going well, GInn is going to get the ball a lot. New England can not afford to let him do a lot with it.

That's all I've got time for and I'm sorry. Blogging from the road isn't a joy, but I'll be back in time to watch the game tomorrow. Add your own analysis in the comments and thanks to you all for helping Marima and me keep the place warm for MaPatsFan. Family issues are front and center for him right now, so let's all hold him warmly in our thoughts. I'm sure we'll have him back before long.

Enjoy the balance of your weekend -- see you at Game Time!

Preview: New England Patriots @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wembley Stadium

MaPatsFan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:07:55 -0000

More photos » by SANG TAN - AP

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Yes, even the New England Patriot cheerleaders are getting into it. I thought it appropriate because my daughter is at a cheerleading competition today and it's my way of sending a little mojo her way. While getting ready this morning, there were far too many estrogen moments for me to be in the same room. "Mom!!! This bow is, like, way to big. O.M.G.!! I look like Minnie Mouse!! Like, O.M.G." Time for me to leave.

As our Patriots prepare for a matchup against Tampa Bay, this romp in jolly old London has an odd vibe to me. It's almost as if our boys can't wait to get to the bye week, relax a bit, and re-tool for a second-half-of-the-season sprint that includes Miami, New York, and Indy. An 0-6 Buccaneers in a game that Belichick and the players are less than happy about playing (not their public persona, though) just doesn't seem like the way to go into the bye.

At any rate, here we are. The biggest news is our struggles to find a third wideout. With the loss of rising star Julian Edelman and the Joey Galloway experiment over, we're faced with the possibility of a less than 100% receiver corp. In Hoodie we trust, but I have to wonder if dropping Galloway was the right thing to do given Edelman's situation. Yes, Brandon Tate is coming off the PUP, but is he ready to be Brady's third look? Let's remember that Brandon is a rookie and has been, in essence, sitting through training camp and the first half of the season. Maybe he's getting a few practice reps, but nothing significant would be my guess. Not only is he a rookie with no NFL experience, but even and experienced wideout might have a tough time. Maybe Hoodie will restrict him to return duties only?

This puts a lot of pressure on guys like Randy Moss and Wes Welker to get open and stay open. That being said, Tampa Bay would be insane not to blanket these 2 with coverage. They see the same injury reports we do and know that if you shut down Moss and Welker, you take away 2 of Tom Brady's favorite weapons. What's a quarterback to do?

Well, in most situations, I'd say let's go to the backfield as a checkdown option. Sammy Morris is out. Fred Taylor is out. That leaves Kevin Faulk when you need to put the ball in the air close to the line of scrimmage. That works. That's where Kevin's most dangerous. The Bucs know that, too. When Faulk lines up, they'll know Brady will air it out to him. What to do...what to do... BenJarvus Green-Ellis has shown that he has some hands. Throw it to the young guy. But we need more than that.

I think we need to do 3 things: a) establish a ground game early and force Tampa Bay to respect the run, b) utilize tight ends Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker to make the Bucs respect a short aerial assault as well as pull defensive backs off of Welker and Moss, and c) once those defensive backs "disrespect" Welker and Moss, air it out.

All of that could change. The field conditions at Wembley turn horrific when the rain starts, but we've proven we can throw in just about anything. What's your plan? Where do you think Hoodie's going with this?

New England Patriots moves and rumors

MaPatsFan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:47:33 -0000

As the trade deadline approaches this coming Tuesday, October 20th, there have been plenty of rumors surrounding the disposition of players. The most interesting has been Adalius Thomas. Thomas was, apparently, a "healthy sit" for the Titans matchup. That was a bit of a surprise for me as I didn't think he was, in any way, having trouble. Yeah, nothing stellar, but I wouldn't have thought he was on the bubble. Apparently, I was wrong. Michael Vega of the Globe asked Belichick about Thomas' status:

"I don’t know. It was one game. We’ll evaluate this combing week against Tampa like we always do. This week is different than last week. I think he’s a good football player. He’s versatile. He’s made some big plays for us. We have a lot of confidence in him. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t be here."

With the Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom and the Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu both being lost for the season Sunday, there would appear to be a need among those teams for a veteran linebacker.

And, yet another rumor, DE/OLB Tully Banta-Cain has been released:

A day after the Patriots created a widespread case of head scratching by deactivating linebacker Adalius Thomas, the Pats have sent fingers back to scalps throughout the football-watching world by cutting linebacker Tully Banta-Cain.

Now, this is Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com, so read into that what you want. I'm honestly not sure what to say about this other than spread some wild rumor myself. By dumping Banta-Cain and possibly Thomas, we're eliminating two edge guys, rushers if you will. Are we simply happy with Derrick Burgess? Or, could we be making a play for Julius Peppers?

Last but not least, Joey Galloway has been a healthy scratch from the roster for 3 games. Has Julian Edelman and Sam Aiken taken the spot as legitimate third looks for Tom Brady? Are we happy with Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker, happy enough to thin down the WR roster by one?

As I wrote above, tomorrow is the trade deadline. It could be an interesting day.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. New England Patriots Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

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If you give a great quarterback time, he will kill you every time. It doesn't matter if all of his receivers are double covered. Eventually somebody will open a small window, and that's all a great quarterback needs. Rex Ryan knows this, and that's why he will not go away from his attack philosophy on Tom Brady this Sunday.

Rex has experience successfully attacking Brady. So do the Jets. During 2006 and 2007 regular season games at Foxborough, the Jets disguised their pass rush having players walk around in the box before coming set. They battered Brady and left New England's offense much less effective than usual. On the other hand, those two regular season contests were terrible weather games, and the Pats picked that same approach apart during the 2006 Playoffs spreading the field and using short, timing routes.

The Jets are going to be more aggressive in the secondary than they were in that Playoff game. Bob Sutton had his corners play off the line, never adjusting as Brady picked the Jets apart and made Jabar Gaffney look like Jerry Rice. In theory, Gang Green's revamped secondary can counter New England's deep receiving corps. Revis, Sheppard, Strickland, and Lowery will meet Moss, Welker, and Galloway. One of the untold stories of last week's game was how well the secondary played. There were times the Texans picked up New York's blitzes but still couldn't make a play because nobody got open. The Jets will need just as big of an effort this time around. You can't stop the Pats without hitting Brady, but attacking him comes with the risk of the big play. Darrelle Revis shut down Andre Johnson last week. He can do the same to Randy Moss. That matchup isn't my concern. My concern is whether the others step up against one of the deepest receiving corps in football.

There are three things I expect from the Pats. The first is for Kevin Faulk to play a big role for them. The best receiving back in football should see a healthy amount of screen passes coming his way trying to neutralize an overly aggressive blitz. I also expect to see plenty of two tight end sets with Benjamin Watson and old friend Chris Baker. Watson is a matchup nightmare for the Jets and dominated Calvin Pace last year in Foxborough. Expect the Pats to test the Jets in a major area of weakness last season, covering the tight end. The third thing to expect is plenty of no huddle spread sets. The Pats used these to great success a year ago. This got Kris Jenkins off the field and didn't allow the Jets to sub him in. It opened the middle of the field for Matt Cassel to run for 62 yards. I wouldn't expect Tom Brady to replicate that in his second game back from a catastrophic knee injury, but it's pretty obvious how much easier it is to execute if you don't have to block Jenkins in the middle of the line.

I'm sure we'll see the Jets unleash Kerry Rhodes to fly all over the field and blitz plenty. Big games are times to put your playmakers in position to make plays. Kerry's done a lot of talking this week. He has backed it up in the past. If the Jets are to win, he'll probably need to do so once again and make a few impact plays.

Brady was his usual self in the clutch, but he did struggle early on. It seemed like he didn't have his base fully under him as he air mailed throws. The kind of injury he suffered takes a long time to heal. It will grow much better later in the season as he plays on it and builds its strength. The Jets need to hit him, rattle him, and get him thinking about the knee. If they don't get to him quickly enough and allow him to get comfortable, it's probably going to be a long day.

Post Game Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 25-24

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:37:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

This picture just about sums up the joy Ben Watson had at that very moment. Thanks Ben, thanks. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Friggin' WOW!! That's all I have to say. I'm STILL wrapped up in this emotionally. That was both exhausting and exciting to watch. From my experience at Gillette Stadium (which I'll write about later) to the crowd around me, it was just incredible. You've all written some excellent FanPosts, so I won't repeat much of what you said, but simply add a few thoughts of my own from my perch in Section 332, Row 6, Seat 12.

Overall, I thought the Patriots came out rusty, particularly Tom Brady. He rocketed more than a few passes too far ahead of some guys and to far behind others. When he got his rhythm about the third quarter, things settled in and the game was less frenetic for NE. Buffalo worked hard to pressure Brady (the Giants' blueprint), but he was only sacked once for 10 yards while Edwards was brought down four times - twice by Tully Banta-Cain and once each by Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess. Who says we can't bring the pressure? In the end, it was big plays, patience, and fundamentals that won this game.

Buffalo would take the lead early and continue to press the Patriots until the last two minutes of the game. Terrell Owens was essentially blanketed by coverage and rendered ineffective, coming up with two receptions for 46 yards and no TD's. However, Bills' QB Trent Edwards made good use of RB Fred Jackson who went 5 for 83 and one TD. Rookie Bills' TE Shawn Nelson accounted for a TD as well. Oh, let's not forget DE Aaron Schobel's Tom Brady interception and 26 yard run for a pick six. Schobel has freakishly long arms that look like they came out of nowhere to pull down Brady's pass. He was within a few yards of Tom, so to pick a ball out of the air like that is quite a feat.

Early on, the Patriots stumbled defensively and had a tough time of it. I had a feeling they wouldn't use a 4-3 alignment that much because the Bills use the same defensive scheme, so Edwards would be familiar with it. The Bills were 1-6 last year against 3-4 teams, so there's your reason. I did, however, see a lot of loading the box which seemed to neutralize Buffalo's rushing attack - 90 yards total. However, it did leave NE vulnerable in the backfield. Where Edwards went 15/25, 212 yards, and two touchdowns. Ya gotta pick your battles.

I mentioned fundamentals early in this post. This game was a shining example of that, ESPECIALLY the forced fumble on Leodis McElvin's kick return. Hindsight is 20/20 and Leodis should've kneed the ball in the endzone for a touchback and a guaranteed 20, but he didn't and a Pierre Woods fumble was recovered by Stephen Gostkowski. Yes, you read that right - G Man was in the mix.

Denver fan Kfustud, in a most excellent FanPost talked about how these things aren't lucky:

McDaniels, while being interviewed about all our team's new fumble drills, said that 40%, or so, of fumbles were caused by the other team going after it. In Denver last year you couldn't buy a turnover and there was a reason. We didn't work at it. On the final kickoff of the game you could see that those Patriots were coached at it. They went out and made a fumble. No luck there.

I believe this team has a lot to work on, but there is significant potential. A few random thoughts:

Brandon Meriweather - If this game is any indication, the torch has been passed. He was a beast on the field, prowling, recognizing offensive looks, and making head's up plays. Welcome Rodney Jr.
Offensive Line - Aaron Schobel was toying with the OL all night. We need to find a way to neutralize defensive ends. Luckily, Brady only went down once.
Cornerbacks - Jonathan Wilhite did a nice job when called on. Leigh Bodden seemed to be in the mix as well as Shawn Springs. I don't think we have any shutdown guys, but this group will only get better. It's a significant upgrade over last year, IMO.
Running Backs - We struggled to pick up yardage, but the Bills were doing a good job of clogging up the gaps. This was not on Laurence Maroney or Fred Taylor.
Receiving Game - Brady was 39/53, 378 yards, and two touchdowns. Wes Welker quietly collected 12 for 93 and Randy Moss went 12 for 141. Kevin Faulk was 6 for 51.
Benjamin Watson - The absolute STAR of this game. I had written in the past few days that I was curious to see if the Patriots would use their newly acquired tight ends for more receiving duties. I figured Chris Baker would be one of Brady's early looks, but I was half right - almost cut Ben Watson became the go to guy. He came up strong when he needed to. Congratulations Ben.

Patriots Week: Talking Brady and pals with Pats Pulpit

Brian Galliford — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:00:34 -0000

Patriots Week continues here this morning, as we sit down once again with Pats Pulpit to discuss the upcoming Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. Obviously, we'll have much more on that matchup throughout the weekend and over the course of the day on Monday.

Yesterday, we discussed with MaPatsFan some possible strategies that Pats coach Bill Belichick might employ to attack Buffalo's inexperienced offense. Today, we'll get his thoughts on the reverse of that argument - what might we see the Pats' offense do to try to attack the Bills' still-developing defense? MaPatsFan's thoughts are after the jump.

Offensively, the Patriots will be looking to see how their aerial assault is coming along, and if Tom Brady still has that 2007 connection with Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Old timer Joey Galloway is a new wrinkle in the receiver ranks; he held on to a roster spot when fellow receiver Greg Lewis was cut, a surprise move to me. If Galloway has gas left in his tank, he'll be another deep threat. Rookie Julian Edelman had a great pre-season, but with backup QB Brian Hoyer; I didn't see much of Edelman with Brady, so I have to reserve judgement to see if there's a connection there. However, if there is a connection, Edelman will work well as a slot receiver. He also took college snaps as a QB and RB, so there could be 'Wildcat' possibilities. I suspect they'd try to beat the defensive backs senseless, and make them choose between two deep threats in Moss and Galloway.

The biggest surprise in the passing game may be a more extensive use of tight ends, particularly FA acquisition Chris Baker. Baker was responsible for two touchdowns in our pre-season matchup against the Eagles. In the past, NE employed TEs for blocking purposes only, but the addition of a good receiving tight end like Baker opens up so many more possibilities.

From a running back perspective, we all know how dangerous Kevin Faulk can be. A third down specialist, he has receivers hands' and a running back's YAC ability. However, BenJarvus Green-Ellis displayed Faulk-like reception abilities in the preseason and, in my opinion, that was one of the many reasons he garnered a roster spot.

Yeah - none of this is really surprising, and clearly it's accurate. What else did you expect? It's Brady's triumphant, heroic return on a national stage, and he happens to be pretty darn good at what he does. So are his receivers. The Pats should be able to run the ball, but why do that when you're trying to prove to the NFL that Brady is back? We'll discuss why Buffalo will need to throw the ball frequently this afternoon, but the Patriots will do it by choice - because they're really good at it, and because they'll want to make a statement.

Aaron Maybin - you're up, son. This is why you're here - to make a good thing or two happen for our side amongst the many good-to-great things that inevitably happen for their side when Brady rips it down the field.

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 1 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em

Kurupt — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:42:50 -0000

Finally! This week marks the opening week of ~~the NFL~~ Fantasy Football! Today we are debuting a weekly feature aimed at suggesting how to handle any Buffalo Bills you may have on your fantasy squads. I know it's almost suicidal trying to rely on players from our beloved Bills in fantasy football, but fear not: some of them actually have potential this season! We will be taking a look at the individual players involved in each particular week's Bills game, including players on the opposition, and making educated suggestions as to whether you should be starting them or sitting them. So without further ado, welcome to Fantasy Football Friday here at Buffalo Rumblings and SB Nation. Let's dive right in after the jump.

Quarterbacks
Trent Edwards - I really don't need to tell any of you how bad Edwards was this pre-season... no touchdowns, three interceptions, 5.0 yards per attempt, 46.9 QB rating, yada yada yada. If you were planning on starting Edwards this week, bless your heart. Unless you are in a deep, multi-quarterback league, steer clear of Trent. In fact, he might not even be rosterable in most leagues. Verdict: Sit' Em in all standard leagues

Tom Brady - Grrrrr. He's back. After missing just about the entire 2008 season, Brady returns as potentially the top QB in fantasy football. With a fired up Foxboro crowd and the desire to prove he's 100% right away, Brady and the Pats offense might come out throwing over and over and over. He's routinely destroyed the Bills, averaging 230 yards per game, 2+ touchdowns and a owning a sparkling 103.3 QB rating. If the Bills' pass rush can't get to him, he should easily match those numbers. Verdict: Duh, Start 'Em in all leagues

Running Backs
Fred Jackson - With Marshawn Lynch out until October and Dominic Rhodes out of a job, Jackson will be the main ball carrier and in all likelihood will get nearly all of the touches out of the backfield. He proved last year that he was more than capable of hurting the Patriots defense when he ran for 136 yards on 27 carries. It'll be tough to repeat that performance with a brand new and quite youthful offensive line in front of him, but he is, at worst, a good flex pick. He should get at least 15-20 carries, and with the way Edwards has been playing another 4-6 receptions, so the touches will be there. In a PPR league, Jackson is much more desirable. Outside of shallow leagues, where there are likely better options available, Jackson is a nice RB2 this week. Verdict: Start 'Em

Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Corey Dillon, Antowain Smith, Leonard Russell, etc - Do Patriots fans even know what the plan is for utilizing all these guys? Like a typical Belichick team, they will be rotating backs in and out and it's highly unlikely any will see the majority of touches. It's too early in the season to have to use any of these guys outside of the deepest of leagues. I guess Faulk has some value in PPR leagues. I see Sammy Morris is listed as the starter, so he may get most of the first half carries and could see early goal line carries. He's a sleeper flex option. Verdict: Sit 'Em all

Wide Receivers
Terrell Owens - T.O. makes his regular season debut as a Buffalo Bill and he should pump some excitement, and hopefully production, into the Bills offense. He's going to be fired up with a lot to prove. I'd imagine Owens will be looking to show everyone he's healthy, still productive at 35, still the highlight reel performer we've been accustom to and ready to roll in prime time. Just a hunch, he'll want to show Dallas what they are missing out on. I expect Owens to have a big game....if Edwards can get it to him. He's still a must start WR each week. Verdict: Start 'Em

Lee Evans - Evans on the other hand is hardly a must start each week. Most fantasy players will consider him one of the most frustrating WR's in the league, and it's hard to argue that with his inconsistent production each year. With Owens opposite him, Evans should see a lot less double and rolled coverage, so the opportunities should be there. The team will be looking to get it downfield more and there's no better option in the league for that. He's always struggled against the Patriots, having never scored a touchdown against them and averaging just 37 yards per game. The concern is there, but the Patriots questionable secondary is ripe for the picking. Evans is a good WR3 pick this week, with upside to put up pretty big numbers, especially if the Bills' offense is able to get the no-huddle in gear. Verdict: Start 'Em in deeper leagues or as a flex option

Josh Reed, Steve Johnson, Roscoe Parrish - Don't even consider starting of these guys unless you have a team of only Bills players. Verdict: What do you think?

Randy Moss - I think Moss will be the top WR in fantasy again this year. With Brady back, his numbers will go up from last year, when they weren't that bad anyhow. I doubt he'll return to his 2007 statistical form, but 1,300+ yards and 15+ touchdowns are extremely realistic. You obviously roll with Moss every week. Verdict: Start' Em

Wes Welker - Will he play? Is his injury signficant? Is he injured at all? There are a lot of question marks and a lack of knowledge about Welker right now. He was limited in practice Thursday, so that might not be encouraging for Patriots and fantasy fans. Keep an eye on the Patriots injury report, although it's unlikely Belichick will let anything slip out. It's going to be risky going with Welker this week because you won't be able to swap him out for another player unless that player happens to play Monday night. In PPR leagues, Welker is gold and just might be worth the risk in all leagues. I'd have to believe he gives it a go. Verdict: Start 'Em

Joey Galloway - If Welker is ruled out early enough for you to make the move, Galloway would be a sneaky option. It looks like he'd get the start as the 2nd WR and could be in a line for a pretty good day. Verdict: Sit 'Em unless Welker is ruled out.

Tight Ends
Derek Schouman, Derek Fine, Shawn Nelson - Do not start any of these guys. Do not even consider it. Until Trent proves he throws to any of them consistently, there is no point in even owning them. There are a number of other options available at TE on a weekly basis; go with one of them. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker - Both are better options than the Bills' TE's, but neither are starting fantasy options. Steer clear. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Kickers
Rian Lindell - Lindell is a solid fantasy option because of the Bills' inability to reach the endzone, and might be worth consideration this week. I'd rather go with a kicker from a better offense though. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Stephen Gostkowski - He led the NFL in scoring last year. Gostkowski is a no-brainer start at the kicker position weekly. Verdict: Start 'Em

Defenses
Bills defense/special teams - This is a terrible matchup for this unit. They might be a spot start later in the season, but this is not one of those games. Verdict: Sit 'Em

Patriots defense/special teams - Despite their questionable status, the Patriots defense is probably one of the better options this week. With a mistake prone Edwards looking to rebound from a terrible season and a Bills' OL still trying to find its footing, the Patriots defense could be in line for a good number of stat accumulators. Verdict: Start 'Em

Sleeper Options
Bills - Do they really have any sleeper options? I guess I'll go with Fred Jackson simply because he's only a borderline starter in most leagues. I expect him to have a very efficient and productive game.

Patriots - Joey Galloway and Laurence Maroney - If Welker is out, Galloway becomes a pretty good spot start for all leagues. And in case the Patriots do get up big (please no!), I have a hunch we might see a lot of Maroney in the second half. That's just a gut feeling. With Morris likely to play with a hand injury and Fred Taylor being so old, Maroney would be my guess for the guy who gets the garbage time carries.

*******

There you have, your Week 1 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em for the Bills vs. Patriots. You can use this as your end of the week fantasy open thread. Enjoy all the games this weekend!

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:04:36 -0000

by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick looks over his rookies during football minicamp at the team's practice facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread)

Offense: 25

QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts.
RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group.
WR: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Saim Aiken, Julian Edelman (6) - Break out the air raid sirens. Edelman looked like "Little Welker".
TE: Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Michael Matthews (3) - Like this group, Matthews is a big man which must mean "blocking TE". Baker has good hands which we haven't seen in NE TE's for a long time.
OL: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell (9) - Deep on the interior, Vollmer is the next stud.

Defense: 25

DL: Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Mike Wright, Myron Pryor (7) - Liking the depth, glad to see Pryor make the roster
DE/OLB: Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain (2) - Can you say, "4-3?" I knew you could. Here comes the pass rush.
LB: Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (6) - Might be considered a little thin, possibly why NE is experimenting with a 4-3.
CB: Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley (5) - Wheatley barely hung on to his spot. I hope a "shutdown corner" emerges.
S: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater (5) - Good group, although Slater will, most likely, be IR'd.

Specialists: 3

K: Stephen Gostkowski - What can I say? One of the best kickers in the league. A machine through the uprights and consistently boots kickoffs into the endzone.
P: Chris Hanson - Game changer. Massive hangtime and very good accuracy.
LS: Jake Ingram - Many laughed when Hoodie drafted Ingram. The rookie wins the long snapper battle.

Injured Reserve

OLB: Shawn Crable - Depressing. The dude can't catch a break.
RB: Chris Taylor
OL: George Bussey - Adds depth for next year.
LB: Tyrone McKenzie - Looking forward to seeing him inside for 2010.

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

All Ready! Your 2009 Denver Broncos 53-man Roster(Official)

John Bena — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:14:31 -0000

Quarterback (3)	Kyle Orton	Defensive Ends (5)	Vonnie Holliday
	Chris Simms		Kenny Peterson
	Tom Brandstater		Ryan McBean
			Marcus Thomas
Running back (4)	Knowshon Moreno		Le Kevin Smith
	Peyton Hillis
	Correll Buckhalter	Defensive Tackles (2)	Ronald Fields
	LaMont Jordan		Chris Baker

		Linebackers (9)	D.J. Williams
			Elvis Dumervil
Tight End (3)	Daniel Graham		Mario Haggan
	Tony Scheffler		Darrell Reid
	Richard Quinn		Jarvis Moss
			Wesley Woodyard
Wide Receivers (7)	Brandon Marshall		Andra Davis
	Eddie Royal		Spencer Larsen
	Brandon Stokley		Robert Ayers
	Jabar Gaffney	Cornerbacks (4)	Andre Goodman
	Kenny McKinley		Jack Williams
	Brandon Lloyd		Alphonso Smith
	Chad Jackson		Champ Bailey

Offensive Line (9)	Casey Wiegmann
	Chris Kuper	Safeties (5)	Brian Dawkins
	Russ Hochstein		Darcel McBath
	Seth Olsen		Renaldo Hill
	Ryan Harris		David Bruton
	Ryan Clady		Josh Barrett
	Ben Hamilton
	Brandon Gorin	Special (3)	Matt Prater
	Tyler Polumbus		Brett Kern
			Lonnie Paxton

Immediate Reaction and Notes

There is one too-many because Brandon Marshall is still on the Reserved-Suspended list. One more move will have to be made when he is activated, but this allows the Broncos to get the lay of the Free agent landscape.
On offense, I had predicted that Darius Walker would make it over LaMont Jordan. I was wrong. There are reasons why, more than Jordan's New England past, why this could have happened. Pass protection is one of them. In the end, however, Jordan is the 4th RB behind KnowMo, Buckhalter and Hillis. I can live with it even though I don't agree with it.
I had though the Broncos would go with 6 WR's, IF Jabar Gaffney's thumb was progressing well. The fact the Broncos went with 7 doesn't necessarily mean it is not, but that the coaches value depth at WR more than RB or some other areas.
The addition of Vonnie Holliday mean alot momre than just what the guy can do on the football field. It is another veteran voice in the locker room, a coach on the field. He has alot of experience in all defenses and will help the young guys learn the nuances of the 3-4
Don't get too comfortable with this roster. I fully expect it to change between now and mid-week after the team has the chance to scoru the waiver-wire.